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Political Assassination...
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
In the past 200 years the US has seen the assassination of four presidents, six (at least) attempted assassinations (Jackson, Rosevelt, FDR, Ford x 2, Reagan), not to mention the politically motivated (apparently) killings of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and RFK, the attampted assassination of George Wallace...there was also the Black Legion (facists?) who killed union men in the 30s...
The US has also (allegedly) had a hand in Italian assassinations as well as their well documented attempts on Castro's life, the attempt on Gaddafi during the Libyan bombings, the decapitation of the Taliban leadership, their attempts to kill Bin Laden and of course the Saddam Hussein question...
The question is:
A, is this because some people inside the US see this as an acceptable form of political protest ( <IMG SRC="wink.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">) and
B does anyone believe that anything can be gained from this process...?
The US has also (allegedly) had a hand in Italian assassinations as well as their well documented attempts on Castro's life, the attempt on Gaddafi during the Libyan bombings, the decapitation of the Taliban leadership, their attempts to kill Bin Laden and of course the Saddam Hussein question...
The question is:
A, is this because some people inside the US see this as an acceptable form of political protest ( <IMG SRC="wink.gif" border="0" ALT="icon">) and
B does anyone believe that anything can be gained from this process...?
0
Comments
I know, hence the question about the process generally ... the question about US citizens is relatively flippant...
However, it is interesting when you look at the sheer QUANTITY in the US alone...when was the last UK Prime Minister, or head of state, assassinated?
African countries spring to mind... rigged elections and assasinations every five minutes. The presidents of many countries are purely murderous lunatic dictators... and thats a bloody nightmare.
When was the last British assasination of a political figure? Maybe someone will bump-off Blair before this War on Terrorism rampage goes too far, it might be an idea.
Hmm been thinking about this and it doesn't wash. Castro, Gadaffi, Hussein are foreign heads of state and I cannot recall another country ever openly attacking or attempting to assassinate another head of state...and certainly not openly.
Even in the present climate the Arab states don't call for attempts to be made on Sharon's life...
It seems to me that occasionally the US sees this a national policy.
Do you think this is acceptable?
Maybe because we're the only people who could see a gain from the assasination of a head of state. But it's like cutting of the head of a multiheaded snake or something, killing the leader will create a vacuum where a new leader will emerge and take his place.
Much better to destroy their support structure.
Doh how could I forget? Thanks for the reminder!
Important word was <STRONG>nearly</STRONG> - still can't recall any successful attempts...
Assassination used to be part of US policy but I believe that it was Reagan who said that the US would not even attempt to kill any leaders anymore.
I think assassinations will take place in violent political cultures hence the US, Colombia, Mexico, Russia, Indonesia etc.
I think it is now pretty rare for a state to do it, really only the US could get away with it and they don't anymore.....
It's been illegal to do since the early 80's.
Reagan signed an executive order that banned it.
No, Ford did. Bush II recently demolished it.
Indeed -- the only British Prime Minister ever to have been assassinated.
Sorry man, it was Reagan. I just learned this last semester. He signed an executive order, which is law until another is signed that overturns it, its found unconstitutional, or a law is passed that supercedes it. And it's still in effect, although what constitutes political assassination is pretty loosely defined, ie. military strikes?